Artist uses eggs from her hens in paintings

Friday

Sep 5, 2014 at 12:01 AMSep 5, 2014 at 1:39 PM

M??OUNT VICTORY, Ohio - A Pat Gamby painting begins with her reaching under a chicken. She retrieves an egg from one of her nine ??Golden Comet hens, cracks it on a fence post and pours the yolk into a cup. She walks the few steps to the studio she built with her husband, Steve, several years ago on their organic farm in rural Hardin County. There, she mixes the yolk with powdered pigment and a bit of water, then dips her brush into the purplish paint and adds strokes to a landscape scene.

Ken Gordon, The Columbus Dispatch

M??OUNT VICTORY, Ohio — A Pat Gamby painting begins with her reaching under a chicken.

She retrieves an egg from one of her nine ??Golden Comet hens, cracks it on a fence post and pours the yolk into a cup.

She walks the few steps to the studio she built with her husband, Steve, several years ago on their organic farm in rural Hardin County. There, she mixes the yolk with powdered pigment and a bit of water, then dips her brush into the purplish paint and adds strokes to a landscape scene.

The walls of the rustic, wood-beamed studio are covered with her paintings — of barns, country lanes, fields and more. They reflect the life that the couple has lived for almost 40 years while raising corn, cows and three children.

For decades, Pat painted in what little spare time she had. Not until their youngest child, Rebecca, graduated two years ago from Marshall University did she begin pursuing in earnest her long-deferred dream.

“I’m painting like a fiend,” the 58-year-old said. “This is the part of my life where I feel like I can dedicate myself to my art, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

The works emerging from her new studio have led to her first exhibit: “Pat Gamby: Unearthing Detail” will open tonight at the Sharon Weiss Gallery in the Short North.

The solo show, Weiss said, is the first she has awarded to a new artist in her 20 years as a gallery owner. More typically, works by a newcomer are shown alongside those of other artists.

The accomplishment seems even more notable given that, a year ago, the self-taught Gamby didn’t know how to use a color wheel.

“It’s a fantastic story, an amazing American story,” said retired Marion County illustrator Bob Bender, a fellow egg-tempera painter who has served as her mentor.

Gamby, who grew up on a farm near Carey in Wyandot County, exhibited an artistic talent at an early age.

“I remember in grade school bringing my work to school and the kids not believing that I did it. They thought my parents helped me,” she said. “I was very hurt by it, but my dad told me, ‘That’s a compliment.’??”

Art classes were rare, though, in her school district.

During her senior year, Pat fell in love with Steve, a

classmate and star baseball pitcher who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers organization in 1974. They married that November. When a shoulder injury ended Steve’s minor league career after two seasons, they settled into country living.

Farming and raising three children — Michael, now 36; Kristin, 34; and Rebecca, 24 — proved challenging. To make ends meet, Pat occasionally painted scenes on commission for friends and neighbors.

About four years ago, Steve suggested they build a studio so Pat could focus on her painting.

“I am 100 percent behind her,” said Steve, 57. “I feel like she sacrificed her thing for all these years, and now it’s her time to be able to do what she wants.”

As Pat made the transition into full-time painting, she decided to try egg tempera — basically, using egg yolks instead of oil, water or acrylics as the base for color.

The medium is difficult because the paint dries quickly, requiring many layers to complete a single piece. Also, new batches of paint must be mixed every few days.

“From the very first brushstroke, I thought, ‘I love this,’??” she said. “The egg yolk gives it a real silky feeling.”

She had a ready-made supply of eggs: her hens, Gamby said, produce six or seven a day — more than enough to keep her in paint (and the family eats the rest).

Seasonal changes in the yolk color, she said, required some adjustments.

“In the spring, when the hens eat fresh grass and insects rather than feed, the yolks are a much deeper orange.”

Last year, a friend — whose daughter knows Weiss, the gallery owner — suggested that Gamby pay her a visit. In August 2013, the two met at the gallery.

Gamby took seven paintings, which impressed Weiss. But the gallery owner was equally taken by the painter’s life journey.

“This was a new story for me, and I love good stories,” Weiss said. “Her story is about where she lives — the landscape — but it’s also a story of woman who put in a lot of hard work on a farm, was able to take care of her family and then still find time to pursue her passion and do well at it.”

Another mutual friend led Gamby to Bender, a Columbus College of Art & Design alumnus who was CEO of a large advertising company and, upon retiring, took up egg-tempera painting.

The two met last September at Bender’s home in the Marion County town of Waldo.

“When I first looked at Pat’s paintings, I saw someone pure of spirit who painted from the heart,” Bender said. “She feels it.”

Since then, the two have worked together mostly electronically, with Pat sending Bender smartphone photos of her work and asking for opinions. Bender taught her about the color wheel, chroma (the purity or intensity of color), values and more.

“I was just so hungry,” Gamby said, “and I knew I needed help.”

Bender has enjoyed working with someone “who soaks it up” and marvels at her energy.

“Sometimes I check my emails, and she sent me photos at, like, 2 a.m.,” he said with a laugh. “ She’s thrilled with her new knowledge, and she’s just exploding right now.”

kgordon@dispatch.com

@kgdispatch

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